But the owners of Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery in Kewaunee did just that with the release of a new wine from the cold-hardy varietal frontenac blanc.

“If it’s talked about the same way sauvignon blanc and chardonnay are talked about, that’s awesome because in my view there’s probably no other place in the world that would be more capable or suited to growing it than (Wisconsin is) up here,” said Steve Johnson, owner and winemaker at Parallel 44.

Frontenac blanc, Johnson said, said is an acidic, dry white — similar to sauvignon blanc — with peach and apricot expressions and citrusy aromatics. He hasn’t paired it with food, but he expects frontenac blanc to go well with cheese, salads, seafood and chicken because of its acidity.

“It smells sweeter than it tastes,” he said.

But that’s Johnson’s opinion. Frontenac blanc’s unveiling will be during the winery’s Vintner’s Choice VIP Day on May 6 at Parallel 44. He wants to get the public’s opinion about the wine and conduct a blind taste test.

“This is a brand new wine with no track record of how people have been describing it,” Johnson said.

After the event, however, the wine will only be available to club members but there’s opportunity for production to expand if the reception goes well.

“If the wine takes off, growers will plant it and it will be as available as frontenac gris or frontenac noir,” Johnson said. “It really proved its ability to survive (Wisconsin’s) climate. Now it’s really just to test of consumer reception.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Parallel 44 winemakers helped pioneer a new wine. The winery released a red wine varietal, petite pearl, in 2013.

“As we do this longer, I start to appreciate more and more your potential legacy of these wines,” Johnson said.

What: Vintner’s Choice VIP Day is one of several events at Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery celebrating the winery’s 10th anniversary. The event also will unveil frontenac blanc to the public. Guests will be able to taste other wines as well. Admission is free. No reservations are required.